Letters, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Jinks Pate Lee --------------------------------- ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ---------------------------------------------------- TENNESSEE, MISC June 15th, 1845 State of Louisiana Written to Parish of Desoto Mr. Philip Draper Trenton Sent from Mansfield, LA Gibson County, Tenn. June 27 Dear Brother I now take the oportunity of writing you a few lines to let you now that I am well at presance hoping theas lines will Reach you enjoying the Same blessing I Received your letter So long Since that I have forgoten the date but think it was about the middle of April which was the first line that I had ever Received Since I left home hit gave me Some Satisfaction in one Respect & in one it didnt that I Received a letter from Booker Since which gave me Some Satisfaction that I was mistaken I Received a letter from Roy Carlen before either of the others I am Sorry that I cannot Comply with your Request as Respects Coming to see you I would be very glad to come indeed but business is so arranged that I cannot Come dyrectly but will Come indirectly I had all most as live bee dead as to live in a Strangeplace away from all of my Connections I did hate very much to part with you all but I thought it for the best you had no idea of the trouble I was in when I was thar is no better yet I will not give way to it yet but will work along the best I can I am not capable of advising olden persons but do think it best if you would Come to this Country for two or three things that is because the country is new and Setting up very fast and work in your line is very high & another is it would bee to my interest for this Reason I sat in to work with one of the finest young Carpenters in the Country to learn the trade and him and his pardner desolved Copartnership & he left the Country I had Jus got So that I could begin to learn and I would like to complete my Study with Some good Study fellow the facts is this you could never bee out of a job if you wished the town of Mansfield is improving very fast there was a Sale a few days Since & I bought three lots if you wish & will come you can have an interest in them if you wish I have no doubt but tha will bee valuable Some day for this Reason it is the county Site & ther is no danger of its ever being moved it would bee a great pleasure to me for you to come an Settle in this town the fact is this ther is no Study workmen in this country I determin on beeing a workman before I Stop if you Say you will Come and will write to that affect I will come out in the fall and come with you I Sertainly would do very Rong to advise you that way if I did not think it best from what I saw when I was thar you was not Satisfied thar and whar a man is not Satisfyed he had better not be thar I suppose Texas is annexed and the pople will bee moving thar and this is write in the Road from Natchitoches to _______ that is one Reason why I think it will Sertainly bee a considerable town after a few years & as to health it is as healthy as any part of the united States is has good land all Round to Support it & that is very Good Symptoms I believe you would bee pleased with the Country it is along ways from home but you had as well bee hear as anywhere a person has but so long to live no how & food is plenty & Range is good Crop is promising this year Squire is living in the Same place and owns two or three lots Peyton and Stephen ar about one hundred miles from us tho I came by thar as I came on the last I heard tha war all well I think it likely that I will go back to tennessee Some day and mary that widow yet the Girls in this Country hold ther heads very high and as no great things at last I would not give and old Country Girl for one dozen of the Suthern Reered girls I am so confused I cant give you much Satisfaction I hope you will excuse me I am yours with much Respect Caleb Pate You will direct your letters to Mansfield, Desoto Parish, Louisiana ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10/6/97 Notes by Jinks Pate Lee: Caleb Pate is a brother to Booker, Squire, Peyton and Stephen. Booker stayed in TN; Caleb and Squire moved to DeSoto Par, LA Peyton and Stephen moved to Claiborne Par, LA Philip White Draper md Caleb's sister, Elizabeth Pate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TENNESSEE, MISC Jan. 27, 1842 Written to Perleamon Pate State of Louisiana Jackson Co. Brownsville, Ill. Dear Bro. I have taken up my pen at last to address you. I left Jackson County the 5th day of Dec. 1841 and was seven weeks and one day on our Journey. I have had a desperate trip of it. You know the situation that NANCY's mother was in when you left she is very little better yet and I have brought her the whole way which you know must have been a desperate job. The rest of us is all well and hope that these lines will find you all enjoying the same blessing. I have been here but two days and can't give you any satisfaction about the country. I made my stand at JAMES DYERS but he is not at home and I have not looked about much yet. I like the apperance of the country as far as I have seen, first rate. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this. I have but little to write as I can't give you much satisfaction until I stay longer and see more. JAMES DAVIS came with me which was a great help. When you write direct your letter to Louisiana Claborn Parish, Russelville. So nothing more at present but remember your effectionate and loving brother until death. Anthony Pate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note by Jinks Pate Lee: Perleamon Pate (1810-1894) moved to Jackson Co, IL Anthony Pate (1812-1877) is his brother -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State of Louisiana April 14, 1842 Written to Perlamon Pate Brownsville Jackson Co Illinois Dear Brother I once more take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all well at this time. Hoping that these few lines will find you all enjoying the same blessing. I want to hear from you all very bad as I have never heard from you since you left Tennessee and I shall get tired of righting to you and never get no answer. I want you to right to me as I think I am able to pay for a letter yet. I am righting to my only beloved brother and if you have never got no letter from me you are excused as you could not right to me untill you got a letter from me and if you have wrote to me and I have never got the letter I don't hold you chargeable but if you have recieved any letter from me letting you know where I was and has not answered the same I do hold you guilty of neglecting your only Brother. I want you to right at least every six weeks and I will answer you every time you right. I live six miles North of James Dyer I have one neighbor in a half mile and one in 1½ miles and then you may look out for the ballance. I will inform you that I am well pleased with the country as far as I have seen as yet. I have got one quarter section of land paid for where I live and there is plenty all around me that is vacant and first rate. I commenced my improvements the 7 day of February and have built a smok-house and dwelling house and cleared six acres of land. I have not got the land fenced yet but I have the rales all ready split and I think if nothing happens I can plant my corn in ten days the land where I live is very heavy timbered and is principaly white oak and the under growth is dogwood and what is called which hazel. I will also inform you that old MOTHER MOCANLY past her time off in nearly as helpless a condition as you left her. I brought TENNESSEE, MISC her to this country with me and she departed this life the 24th day of March about two o'clock in the evening being old and full of days I will inform you also that since I have been here that JOHN L. DYER has paid me every dollar of my money like a gentleman. I will also inform you that I got my money exchanged in Nashville at eight percent discount. I will also inform you that I have to give one dollar a bushel for corn and five dollars a hundred for pork I want you to right me how you are please and if you have settled yourself yet and if you have not bought land it won't be much trouble to come and look at this country before you do buy. I sent to New Orleans for my sugar and coffee I got first rate sugar at $5.50 a hundred and coffee at $10.50 a hundred I would right more but the ticks bites me so bad I cant see nothing more at present but remain your affectionate brother untill death. Anthony Pate April 14, 1842 Page 2 N.B. when you right direct your letters to Louisiana Parish of Claborn Russelville. Blake T. Pate says tell Phillip that they can't meet on the flat rock and play but he wants to see him bad so all he can do now is say howdy P. Pate. B. T. Pate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note by Jinks Pate Lee: Anthony & Perlamon Pate are brothers. Blake T Pate (1837-1862) is son of Anthony, and died at Manassas in the Civil War